Lana Ciarniello, an independent conservation scientist and expert on human-bear conflict, said multiple factors — including wider media coverage — are contributing to the perception that bear encounters are rising. She said communities should put more "bear-smart" measures in place, such as locking up their garbage, to avoid a dangerous run-in with a black bear. Separately, when it comes to encounters with grizzly bears in backcountry areas, Ciarniello explained that other environmental and behavioural factors come into play. Here's a look at some of the most recent cases of bear encounters in Canada. Attack in northern Saskatchewan kills 27-year-oldA man working at a uranium exploration project site in northeastern Saskatchewan's Athabasca Basin was killed in a black bear attack in May.